All municipal vehicles will be ecological in Benidorm before 2023

The residents of El Calvari propose that the works on Garita Street begin after the long weekend of October 

On the occasion of the celebration of the European Mobility Week, early in the morning there was an exhibition of ecological vehicles in Villajoyosa Avenue where municipal cars and the fleets of the concession companies that provide service in the city have participated.

The Councilor for Mobility, José Ramón González de Zárate, together with municipal technicians and managers of the concessionaires, has checked the latest acquisitions, all zero emissions, and after the tour he has announced the installation "in a month approximately" on the same avenue Villajoyosa, for a new fast electric recharging point, after having obtained “a grant from the IDAE” (Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving).

With this new fast charging point, Benidorm will add three, the first on Europa Avenue, the second on l’Aigüera in front of the Town Hall, to which must be added the eleven more normal charge that are installed in the city.

In the vehicle exhibition, cars from the municipalities of Urban Space and Mobility and the Local Police have participated; also electric bicycles and scooters from the Street Cleaning. Regarding the concessionaires, OHL (school cleaning), Actua (gardens), Hidraqua (water concession), Aquambiente (treatment plant concession), FCC (Cleaning), Llorente Bus - Avanza (public transport), Iberdrola (chargers) have been present and the UTE Ora Grúa (blue zone). Only, and for technical reasons, the ecological bus of Autocares Martínez that serves the Department of Sports has not been exhibited. The latest electric taxis that have been added to the city's fleet have also been seen.

González de Zárate recalled that Benidorm already has "more than 30 municipal electric vehicles". In its commitment to sustainability and ecological transport, it is the only city that has drawn up a taxi regulation "by which all vehicles that are renewed must be ecological." As an example, he recalled the presentation, the week before, of a seven-seater car.

The Councilor for Mobility has taken advantage of the day to announce the renewal of the fleet with the incorporation "in early 2021 of five new electric vehicles" for the departments of Street Cleaning, Public Space, Citizen Security and Mobility for which it has been requested a grant to the Provincial Council Alicante. "Benidorm is putting the batteries - he stressed - things are being done well to achieve the goal set by the European Union so that by 2023 the entire municipal fleet is totally ecological".

Visit to the Castell

As a complement to the exhibition of ecological vehicles, and within the programming of the European Mobility Week, González de Zárate, together with the Councilor for Historical Heritage, Ana Pellicer, have participated in a tour around El Castell with neighbors so that the citizens " enjoy our municipal Historical heritage." The itinerary, despite the rain this morning, has served for some residents to delve into the history of this emblematic enclave and learn about some of the anecdotes that the passing of history has left among its stones.

El Calvari, more pedestrian

The last of the activities of the day today located in the Mobility Week, has brought together residents of El Calvari neighborhood at La Casa del Fester 'Diego Cano Enguera' with technicians from the Works and Mobility departments and the person in charge of both municipal areas, José Ramón González de Zárate. At the meeting, the urbanization and pedestrianization project for Garita Street and part of Ramos Carratalá was presented.

"They liked it a lot", pointed out González de Zárate, it will be a work "without sidewalks" that will follow "the same physiognomy that Garita Street has from Tomás de Ortuño Street" and that will reach Los Almendros Avenue. This action seeks to make it "much more pedestrian, with absolute priority for pedestrians" in which the left sidewalk going up to Ramos Carratalá street will be reformed.

In the meeting with the neighbors, they have also been consulted about their preferences regarding the start date of the works. Two options were put on the table, at the end of September or after the long weekend of October. The latter was decided almost unanimously.